No Viking Left Behind
by thepurplewriter333
Summary: RTTE SEASON 5 SPOILERS. WHN to No Dragon Left Behind. Astrid has a nightmare about really losing Stormfly. Which means a certain Haddock might be just the thing she needs to cheer her up again. Hiccstrid. One-shot.


**A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO FANWRITER02! *streamers explode* I hope you have a great one, buddy!**

 **Now, since I know you love it, here's some shameless Hiccstrid fluff for your special day. Enjoy!**

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It wasn't that Hiccup couldn't sleep.

He was exhausted from the day before- going after the kidnapped Garff had taken most of his energy out of him, and he was near ready to collapse- but the way Astrid had been acting after he returned had been unsettling, and he felt the need to stay awake a little longer in case she needed someone to talk to.

It was Fishlegs who told Hiccup what had happened. Even now, Astrid punching the Slitherwing dragon just to get the antidote for Stormfly still amazed him. He had known she was brave, yet her limits had never been tested like this before. But then, eventually, it was realized that Stormfly wasn't really poisoned. She was just in grieving.

Of course, Astrid hadn't known that.

Hiccup swung his legs over the side of the Edge's platform, staring off into the blackened night.

Never before had Astrid Hofferson cried. Even when she was a baby, her parents had proudly boasted that she was as silent as a lamb. Did he believe it?

Yes, he did.

Now, although, he wondered just how hard nearly losing Stormfly had hit the young woman to force her among those breaking points.

He sighed, glancing over at Toothless. The dragon was lying next to him, sleepy eyes drooping and struggling to stay awake. "Guess we better go back inside, bud?" he mused. "Doesn't look like anyone will be needing us tonight."

In agreement, Toothless stood up, stumbling slightly from his grogginess. He was making his way back to the hut, and Hiccup was just about to follow when suddenly a shrill scream pierced through the air, sending a chill down his spine.

It had come from Astrid's hut.

Without another moment of hesitation, Hiccup raced in her direction, Toothless long forgotten, with fearful ideas flooding his mind of what could've happened to her. Was she being attacked? Did she need help? What if she was hurt?

But as he threw open her door at a frantic speed, he suddenly realized that it wasn't as terrible as he first thought. Astrid was awake in bed, knees huddled up to her chest, and shivering all over. Stormfly was going ballistic, prancing around the hut and screeching out in alarm.

Hiccup took a tentative step forward. It was hard to see in the darkness, but he could still sense something was wrong. "Astrid?"

Astrid's head shot upwards, and even in the dim light Hiccup could see the fear buried within her eyes. "Hiccup?" Her voice was hoarse and raspy and choked with tears. She shook her head quickly, as if clearing her thoughts. "I… I-I didn't mean to wake you."

Hiccup gave a small smile, walking slowly towards her bed. "Nah, I was already awake anyway. Astrid…" He paused. "Is… is something wrong?"

"I just… I just had a nightmare. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Hiccup." Astrid pressed a hand to her forehead. Her voice softened. "I am fine. You can leave now."

Hiccup sat down on the side of her bed, hands clasped together. He had a sneaking suspicion of what was wrong, but didn't want to upset her more by voicing it. Instead, he tried a different tacit. "You know you can tell me anything."

Astrid gave a loud sniff, to his surprise. "I… I don't want to talk about it."

So she hadn't gone for the bait.

"Is it…" He hesitated. "Is it about what happened today? I know you went through a lot, believing you were going to lose Stormfly." When she noticeably tensed, he added, "I wouldn't have been much different with Toothless. Our dragons are some of our best friends. Losing any one of them would be… awful."

"It is." Astrid's voice shook slightly as she spoke. "Hiccup, I thought I was going to lose Stormfly. Forever. It's… one of the most terrible feelings I've ever witnessed."

Hiccup's heart stung with remorse. He so much wanted to hold Astrid, to comfort her, to tell her everything was going to be all right. But he couldn't take that pain away. And suddenly, for the first time in years, he really felt... useless.

He cleared his throat. "Is that what the nightmare was about?"

There was a few beats of silence.

"Astrid…" Hiccup reached out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but stopped himself midway. She already felt vulnerable enough. He didn't want to make it any worse. "It's okay."

To his surprise, when he looked up at her again, tears were gathering in her eyes. She let out an uneven breath. "Yes. But this time, she was poisoned, and the antidote wouldn't work. It was horrible, Hiccup. I couldn't do anything but watch." Suddenly, it all came spilling out. "And then she was gone. In one moment, she was taken away from me, for good." She wrapped herself up in her arms, eyes squeezed shut. "How do I make it go away, Hiccup? Please… tell me… how do I handle this….?"

Stunned, Hiccup leaned forward and took her up in his arms. Her head buried itself into his shoulder, and he heard her muted sobs fill the air. He rocked her back in forth gently. "Hey, hey… Stormfly's all right… and you're all right, too. She wasn't poisoned. Just in grieving. Nothing more."

"But what if she _was_ poisoned?" Astrid had slightly lifted her head back up for a second before she snuggled it back into his shoulder. "That feeling when I thought… no, I _knew_ she was going to die... it hurts. And the feeling's not going away..."

"I know," Hiccup said softly. "But… hey… you still have me."

"Mm…" Astrid gripped him tighter. "Hiccup?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you…" She sniffed. "Will you stay here… at least until I fall asleep?"

Hiccup let a moment pass, and then he smiled. "Of course. Anything for my milady."

He felt her somewhat loosen around him. "Thank you."

"Anytime. I don't think I could've slept much knowing you were awake as well."

"Guess that makes two of us." Astrid sunk into him more, allowing herself to finally relax. "I love you, Hiccup," she murmured, and then paused. "...I… I couldn't imagine a world without you in it, either."

Hiccup gave her a comforting kiss on the cheek. "I'll always be here for you, Astrid. And I know you'll always be there for me. We've been through everything together. This is just another bump in the road, that's all."

"I... I guess so." Her voice lowered. "So… you'll stay here with me?"

"As long as you need me too."

"You promise?"

Hiccup laughed quietly. "I promise."

"Thank you, Hiccup," she whispered. "Thank you."

Her voice, for once, was meek.

But Hiccup knew that she had never felt stronger.


End file.
